Design of an ultrasound-guided robotic brachytherapy needle insertion system

In this paper we describe a new robotic brachytherapy needle-insertion system that is designed to replace the template used in the manual technique. After a brief review of existing robotic systems, we describe the requirements that we based our design upon. A detailed description of the proposed system follows. Our design is capable of positioning and inclining a needle within the same workspace as the manual template. To help improve accuracy, the needle can be rotated about its axis during insertion into the prostate. The system can be mounted on existing steppers and also easily accommodates existing seed dispensers, such as the Mick Applicator.